Change of Hearts
by lildreamer4
Summary: Grace is in love but not with Eli. Eli loves Grace and it's tearing him apart.
1. part1

Author's Comment: This is my first fan fic. I hope you like it. Also, I don't own any of the characters in Once and Again.  
  
1 Chapter 1  
  
She woke up really tired.  
  
~ I can't believe I went to sleep at 2:00 am last night.  
  
She had been finishing up this huge project. The funny thing is that it wasn't a school project. She had stayed up writing poems and stories for the man of her dreams. She had decorated each piece of paper and she did all of this with love.  
  
"Grace, hurry up! You'll be late for school!" Grace heard her mother scream for her.  
  
When she got downstairs her mother told her, "Grace, Eli will take you and Jessie to school today."  
  
Eli was Grace's stepbrother, he was Jessie's real brother. Grace had once had a crush on him, but now he didn't even compare to her true love. Eli was a pothead and she just wasn't into that. In fact he had got her to try it once, but she didn't like it. Instead of making her problems go away it just made them worse.  
  
They were on their way to school when Eli noticed her "project." He asked her what it was. She shrugged him off and said it was nothing. From the back seat she heard Jessie say, "Yeah, right." Grace didn't like Jessie. She was always trying to take all the attention away from Grace. Jessie also kind of knew about Grace's "crush."  
  
As they were getting off the car Grace said her thanks to Eli and left the car, forgetting her papers. 


	2. Part2

While Eli was on his way home he noticed that Grace had left her project. He thought about going back to give it to her, but curiosity took him over. He stopped at a McDonalds to have breakfast. With him he took the papers.  
  
"Your face fills my mind. You're the only thing I think of. Why wont you be mine." Eli sat reading the letters Grace wrote to someone. He was intrigued by the way she wrote. He knew she liked someone, but he didn't know that she felt so much passion for this person. He immediately wanted to know who this mystery person was.  
  
~~~~  
  
~ Oh My God! Where is it? Could I have dropped it? I think I… Oh My God! I left it in the car! I hope Eli doesn't read it.  
  
These are the things that went through Grace's mind when she figured out she lost her papers. She was in English class and was about to give her papers to her teacher Mr. Dimitri, when she figured out she lost them.  
  
Now she was panicking.  
  
~ Eli can't read those papers. They are meant for my love, Mr. Dimitri.  
  
~~~~  
  
Eli wanted to pick up Grace and Jessie from school. He had read all the papers. In some way he knows Grace more than he has in the three years he's known her. Grace has always been quiet and reserved. She'd never tell anyone this stuff and he knows that it's only meant for her love's eyes.  
  
~ I wonder who it is. Maybe it's that teacher of hers. They were very close during the cast party.  
  
Eli thought this in his room. He went to the kitchen and found Lily there.  
  
Lily was his stepmother. She was very nice to him and thought of him as a son.  
  
"Hey Lily if you want I can pick up Grace and Jessie from school." He said.  
  
"Eli that would be very responsible."  
  
Lately he hadn't been very responsible. So it was nice to hear it from somebody who cared. 


	3. part3

Grace got out of school in a hurry. She had to get home and ask Eli if he had seen her letters. She wouldn't use the word letters, though. Instead she would ask him if he had seen the papers she had in the car.  
  
That's when she saw him. Grace ran towards Eli.  
  
"Eli thank God you're here!" She said as she ran towards him.  
  
"I didn't know you missed me that much." He said with a small smile on his face. "Your mom wanted me to pick you guys up."  
  
As he said that Jessie was running towards the car in a hurry. "Eli, I'm kind of going to Katie's. Is it okay if I get a ride from her?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. See ya later." He said, not really caring.  
  
~~~~  
  
On their way to the house Grace really wanted to ask Eli about the notes. She wanted to ask him in a way that didn't sound desperate.  
  
"Um…. Eli did I leave some papers here this morning? You know, the ones you asked about." She asked.  
  
"Uh… Yeah. You left them. If it makes you feel any better I didn't read them. I figured they were kind of important." He said, looking directly at her.  
  
It's okay, they aren't that important." She said, very relieved that he hadn't read them.  
  
~ She looked relieved when I told her I hadn't read them. What if she finds out I did? What if she never forgives me for reading them?  
  
"So what did you do today?"  
  
"Oh, nothing." 


	4. part4

Eli was in his room thinking about his day.  
  
~ Grace had really looked happy this morning. She was going to give those letters to that teacher. I can't believe Grace had fallen in love without anyone noticing. She was really growing up.  
  
~~~~  
  
Grace sat in her room looking at her papers.  
  
~ How could I ever think I could ever give these to Mr. Dimitri. I was so stupid to think he loved me too. Hey what is that? It's some kind of stain. Oh My God! It's a coffee stain. Eli read my letters. Oh God he knows my inner most thoughts. What am I going to do? I know.  
  
"Eli!" She called running to the kitchen and into the garage.  
  
"How could you? You lied to me! I can't even look at you now." With that she left his room.  
  
Eli sat staring at the door, stunned. Everything had happened so quickly.  
  
~ What just happened? Why is she so mad?  
  
Then he realized why.  
  
~ Oh no! She found out.  
  
"Grace wait! Grace!" He called after her.  
  
He ran to catch up to her. She was already halfway up the starirs when he caught her.  
  
"Grace listen, I'm sorry for what I did."  
  
He pleaded with her. She just stood the unable to look at him.  
  
"You read my private letters. You know how I feel! You shouldn't have done what you did." By this time she was crying. She sat down on the stairs and covered her face.  
  
"Grace I'm sorry I shouldn't have. I know, I just felt like we weren't close anymore. I thought they were stories. Please forgive me." He sat down and put his arm around her. She leaned close to him and cried.  
  
"I love him, Eli. I really do. What am I going to do?" She was crying onto his shoulder now, trying to stop, to control herself.  
  
"Grace I believe you, but I think you should date someone your own age." He said stroking her hair.  
  
"Like who, the silly little boys in my school. The ones who have nothing better to do than have sex with any girl available." She said looking into his eyes.  
  
"No, you deserve someone who cares about you. Someone who knows you and understands you. Someone…. Like me." And with that he kissed her. I was a short, sweet kiss but it sent chills down his back. It was a rush that they both felt. They were closer than ever. He found himself falling in love with her. 


	5. part5

"Eli what was that? You just kissed me." She was confused, she didn't know what just happened.  
  
They looked at each other unable to say a word. Each was stunned by what just had happened.  
  
"I'm sorry Grace. I have to go." With that he left here there on the steps  
  
~~~~  
  
~ Eli just kissed me. Oh My God! Why would he do something like that. I am soo confused.  
  
Grace sat on her desk in her room writing in her journal. She had been like this for 30 minutes. She had so many questions and nobody to answer them. Eli had kissed her. Her own stepbrother loved her. Before their parents had gotten married Grace had a crush on Eli. She dreamt of that moment for so long. He never had given her the time of day. Now it had happened, but in the worst possible time.  
  
~~~~  
  
~ I can't believe I just kissed her. Oh My God! Why would I do something like that? I am so confused.  
  
Eli was laying down in his bed. He had never thought of Grace in that way. He had always seen her as just a friend, even a sister. Now, after he had read those letters he saw her as a different Grace. She wasn't just his 17- year-old stepsister. She was a beautiful young lady with insightful thoughts about the world. He wanted to hold her. To be part of her world.  
  
"I can't believe I'm in love with Grace Manning."  
  
  
  
I need feedback. Please review my story if you read it. I'll take any type of criticism. 


	6. part6

1 I first started writing this story before "Experience is the Teacher" so the chapters before this are before that and this chapter starts one week after that.  
  
2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
3 3 Weeks Later  
  
Grace sat in her room reading. Actually she was reading the book Mr. Dimitri had given her. She had read that book everyday for the past week. In the past three weeks Grace had found out her stepbrother loved her, she had gone out with Mr. Dimitri, and ruined his life. She had gotten him fired.  
  
~ I hate myself for what I did.  
  
She sat there crying. She cried because she missed him and because she felt it had been her fault that he had gotten fired.  
  
KNOCK, KNOCK  
  
"Grace is it okay if I come in?" Eli asked lightly from the other side of the door.  
  
"Um… Yeah, sure. Just a minute."  
  
She scrambled to dry her face and make herself presentable.  
  
"Um… the door's unlocked."  
  
Eli came in and sat on the edge of her bed. He didn't want to be any closer. He was afraid of what might happen if he got closer to her.  
  
"Hey, how've you been?" He asked, longing to hold her and make her feel better.  
  
"I've had better days."  
  
She couldn't look him in the eye. She knew how much this must be hurting him. When her family had found out about Mr. Dimitri she had caught him crying to Jessie.  
  
~ He really loves me doesn't he?  
  
"Do you want some ice cream or something to make it feel better?"  
  
This made her smile. Eli always knew how to do that.  
  
"No Eli, I'm fine. We could talk, though. During times like this, I really wish I had a good friend."  
  
"Well that's what I'm here for, to be the best friend I can be."  
  
This was really killing him. She looked so sad, he just wanted to tell her that he could be her savior. He knew that if he told her how he felt she would feel guilty. He didn't want that, he just wanted to be there for her. He reached over to her and gave her a big hug. When they let go she reached over to him and kissed him.  
  
"I'm sorry for how I've hurt you." She whispered into his ear.  
  
  
  
Please tell me what you think. Review, criticize, do whatever you want. Just tell me if you like it. 


	7. part7

When they let go of each other Eli looked at Grace. He was amazed by what she had just said. He was also a little skeptical. She had told him when they first kissed that she loved Mr. Dimitri but she had also loved Eli at one point so what's to stop her from loving him again.  
  
"Grace you have no idea how long I've waited to know if you loved me or not."  
  
"Eli I've always loved you. It's just that when you started dating Carla I had to put my feelings aside. Then I met Mr. Dimitri and everything changed. He taught me to be a better person. The feelings I had for him were gratitude. I love you."  
  
Grace didn't want to tell Eli that after the cast party is when her feelings for him left and the feelings for Mr. Dimitri that she had came. It was then that she realized that Eli was able to lie to anyone he cared about. He had lied to her twice, butt his Eli seemed different. He really did love he. She could see it in his eyes.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Later that night  
  
"Grace you cannot seriously be thinking of having a relationship with your stepbrother."  
  
Grace sat on her bed talking on the phone to one of her friends, Sandy.  
  
"Why is it so wrong. I mean we love each other, right. Well why cant we be together?"  
  
"Look Grace I'm no expert, but it doesn't sound right. Especially after what you just went through with Mr. Dimitri."  
  
"Okay, I know that the whole Mr. Dimitri thing messes me up, but this is different. I've loved Eli longer and he finally loves me."  
  
"Just be careful okay. You know he's into drugs and that could ruin your life if he gets you into it."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Grace! Time for dinner!"  
  
Grace could hear her mother yelling from the kitchen.  
  
"Hey I have to go okay. Bye, I'll see you tomorrow in school."  
  
"Bye, I want you to tell me everything tomorrow."  
  
They hung up and Grace got ready for a long time at dinner.  
  
"This is going to be a tough night." 


	8. part8

Author's Comment: In this Chapter I wrote what I think everyone thinks about during dinner. They are not having long silent moments. I just can't make them think and talk at the same time.  
  
1 Dinner Time  
  
2 Eli  
  
~ Grace looks amazing. She seems so into her food, though.  
  
Eli sat across from Grace. He couldn't help but stare at her. He noticed every feature of her face. He even noticed how she had picked her hair up in a loose ponytail, making it look messy but cute. He saw how she couldn't look up probably afraid of what she might see.  
  
3 Grace  
  
~ Oh God, Eli looks so hot. I wish we were alone so I could talk to him more.  
  
Grace ate her dinner and would casually look up at Eli ever once in a while. She would always catch him looking at her, though.  
  
~ He's being way too obvious about his feelings for me. What if somebody else notices?  
  
4 Jessie  
  
~ Wow this is so boring. I should have gone home with Katie. We could be doing much more funs things than this.  
  
Jessie looked up at each one of her family members. She stopped with Eli and noticed that he was staring at Grace. He had this weird look in his face. One that she had never seen before.  
  
~ Why is he looking at her like that? What is he thinking about?  
  
5 Zoe  
  
~ I wonder if I should tell mom that I got a bad grade in Spanish class today. That class is so boring. Maybe if I talk about someone else then I can ease into it.  
  
Zoe looked up and immediately saw Eli and what he was looking at. She was instantly intrigued by this and knew she had to ask him something to see what he says.  
  
"So Eli does Grace have something in her teeth?" She asked.  
  
"What?" He looked at her almost surprised to see anyone else in the room.  
  
"It's just that you keep on staring at her. Is there something wrong?"  
  
"No nothing's wrong I was just thinking." Eli said.  
  
6 Jessie  
  
~ I guess someone else noticed Eli looking at Grace.  
  
"So Grace I hear that the football coach is single."  
  
"What's that suppose to mean?" Grace asked, knowing exactly what she meant.  
  
"No, I just thought that maybe you could fall in love with him too."  
  
"Jessie that's enough." Rick interrupted his daughter. "You should know better than that."  
  
"Oh come on dad it's not like she's been nice to me since she met me. She's always hated me." Jessie looked at her father ready to argue for what she's worth.  
  
"Well you haven't been an angel to me either." Grace said knowing she'd have to defend herself.  
  
"All I did was tell you about a potential guy seeing that you like older men."  
  
"Jessie just stop bothering her." Eli said trying to stop both girls from saying something they would regret later.  
  
"Why are you defending her? You're supposed to be my brother."  
  
"Mom may I be excused?" Grace said, stepping in and stopping this argument before it got too far.  
  
"Sure I think we've all had enough of this." Lily said.  
  
"Look what you did. You made her feel guilty." Eli said getting up and going to his room in the garage.  
  
"I'm going to my room. Don't pick up the phone cause I'll be talking to Katie." Jessie said.  
  
"What are we going to do about them." Lily asked concerned about her family.  
  
"Maybe we can give one of them up." Rick said jokingly. 


	9. part9

1 End of the day, school  
  
Grace opened her locker and took out the books she needed. While closing the locker she caught sandy out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Grace!" She screamed as she ran towards her friend.  
  
~ Oh God! She's going to interrogate me about Eli.  
  
Grace knew exactly what was coming and she didn't want it. She had tried to avoid Sandy all day. That was close to impossible, but she had managed to duck out of Sandy's way all day. Now she was trapped with all the kids trying to get outside.  
  
"Grace I've been looking for you all day. Let me guess, you've been avoiding me." Sandy knew grace well too and she knew that Grace didn't want to talk about it. But Sandy was interested in knowing if Eli was a good kisser or not. Probably was.  
  
"Sandy, I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been very busy. Okay maybe just a little."  
  
"Come on Grace, let's go. I'm going home with you. You of all people should know that no one can avoid me forever. Now let's go."  
  
They walked outside smiling and squinting at the sun's bright rays. Grace looked for her mom. That's when she saw him.  
  
"Come on there he is." Grace tugged on her friend's shoulder.  
  
"Ooh! He came to pick you up." Sandy said, sounding like a little girl.  
  
"He's picking Jessie up too you know."  
  
"Yeah, but he doesn't love Jessie like he LOVES you. She's his sister."  
  
They got to the car and Eli looked at Grace a little disappointed. Grace noticed this and said "Eli, Sandy is coming home with us. Don't look so disappointed. It's not like our day is ruined."  
  
"So then when could we get together?"  
  
"Hey Eli, you can kiss and make out with her later. I just want 2 hours of her time."  
  
Just as Sandy said this Jessie opened the car door.  
  
"What are you guys talking about?" Jessie asked suspiciously. She still remembered the look Eli had given Grace last night.  
  
"Oh, Eli wanted me to come to his room for a make out session." Sandy answered Jessie's question. At this Grace and Eli held in a laugh.  
  
"You and Eli are together?" Jessie asked not believing a word of it. She looked from Eli to Sandy and finally to Grace, waiting for an answer.  
  
"I call it friends with benefits. It's nothing official. I just like to kiss him from time to time." Sandy said smiling widely.  
  
"Eli is this true?"  
  
"Um… Yeah but there's no need to tell anyone else. Now if everyone else is ready were going home."  
  
As he was driving off Eli looked at Grace and they shared a look. They just kind of smiled to each other. He then turned on the radio to keep things quiet between the girls. 


	10. part10

Grace and Sandy were in Grace's room listening to some music. The music that was on was Creed's "My Sacrifice."  
  
"Oh! I love this song!" Sandy said when it came on. She started singing with the song.  
  
"Hello my friend we meet again, it's been a awhile, where should be begin…"  
  
Halfway through the song Sandy stops and looks at Grace. She smiles and says "So you and Eli, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I still can't believe it either."  
  
"What are you going to do? Are you going to tell your parents?"  
  
"I don't know. What would we tell them? Mom, I'm in love with Eli and nothing you say or do is going to change that. No! I can't do that. They would freak. Then think about my father! He would kill Eli!"  
  
"I guess you're right."  
  
"Of course I'm right."  
  
"So let me ask you something. Now answer this truthfully… Is Eli a good kisser?"  
  
"Sandy! I can't believe you asked me that! Ok Fine! Yeah, he's a great kisser. The best probably."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
From outside the door they hear Jessie scream, "Grace, Sandy dinner's ready."  
  
"Ok, look when we get down there don't make it obvious that something is going on between me and Eli."  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dinner Time  
  
"So Sandy, how's school?" Lily asked her daughter's friend.  
  
"Oh, it's okay. I'm having a little trouble understanding things in my math class, but other than that, everything's going good."  
  
"That's really great."  
  
Sandy was looking around the table. She stopped when she saw Eli. He was looking at Grace and he had this weird look on his face. It was like a small smile.  
  
~ Wow! It's really cute how he looks at her like that. He must really love her.  
  
Then she kicked him.  
  
"Ugh! What the…" Eli screamed when she kicked him.  
  
"I'm sorry Eli, I just got startled by something. I hope I didn't hurt you." Sandy apologized, kind of gesturing towards Grace.  
  
He realized what she meant and said, "No, I'm fine."  
  
The rest of the dinner was pretty quiet. They talked about school and work. Eli tried really hard not to look at Grace anymore.  
  
After dinner everyone went their separate ways. Sandy went home soon after dinner.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
9:45 p.m.  
  
Grace walks into the kitchen to get something to drink. The house was quiet for some odd reason. The kitchen is dark so she doesn't see him sitting there. He sees her walk in, get a cup and pour orange juice in the cup.  
  
"Grace?" He said softly so as to not make any noise.  
  
Grace's heart almost stopped. She turned and calmed down when she saw it was Eli.  
  
"Eli, you scared me." She said as she walked to the table and sat down.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"What are you doing in here?" She asked.  
  
"I needed a snack." He said, pointing to the sandwich on his plate.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You looked beautiful today." He said smiling at her.  
  
"Oh." She said unable to move or look at him.  
  
~ He always makes me clam up. Everything he says makes me want to go up to him and kiss him. Why did I say "Oh." I need to say something clever.  
  
"Thanks Eli, that's really sweet of you."  
  
~ Yeah. This isn't going to work for me.  
  
"Grace do I make you nervous?"  
  
~ Oh God what am I going to do? He knows me so well.  
  
"No." She said quickly  
  
He reached for her and brought her to his lap.  
  
"I love you Grace. I shouldn't make you nervous."  
  
"I love you too, Eli." She said, her voice almost in a whisper.  
  
They both moved closer until they kissed. It was slow at first. Eli could taste the lip gloss on her lips. He reached to touch her face. She put her hand over his. They were like this for a couple of minutes. Then Grace stopped it spontaneously.  
  
"Eli, what are we going to do about our parents?"  
  
"Grace lets not think about that right now." He said, going for her lips again.  
  
She stopped him and he looked at her. She had tears creeping in her eyes.  
  
  
  
~ This is really getting to her. It should be getting to me too. I always do that. I don't think about the consequences it could have. Not this time, though. I'm going to protect her.  
  
"We're going to get through this. Trust me." He said reassuring her.  
  
Then he kissed her cheeks and finally he kissed her lips softly.  
  
"Now I think you have to go to bed." He said.  
  
She got off his lap and said, "I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Eli."  
  
"Good night Grace."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------  
  
A/N: What did you guys think of the chapter. I really need reviews so if you read please review. I have no idea where to go with this so you can give me some ideas. Thanks. 


	11. A.N

Hi this is the author. I plan to write more of the story. I just need some time. I'm writing this because I know there are people that want to see me write. After the last episode I just went blank. I had written another chapter but I didn't like it. The new chapters are hopefully going to be good. If Grace and Eli want their relationships to last they are going to have to go through some tests. I love it when obstacles get in the way. Also want to know if you guys would read my new story "Death at Boston State" it's not about Once and Again but I just want to know if it's good. Please read. 


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